Yesterday, I had a phone call with my son Jaafar that broke my heart. He asked: “Is it true that we cannot visit grandmother’s house as a family anymore?” Enough has become enough… After much soul-searching, it is clearly time for us to live by Michael’s words about love not war. In this spirit, I offer this statement by way of extending an olive-branch. Accordingly, I rescind my signature from the letter which was sent to the Estate, and which should never have gone public. I still hold deep reservations about many issues involving the Estate, and I will continue to bring scrutiny and a resolute voice wherever we have cause for concern. But the way to address such matters is through the proper channels and via a private dialogue, not public conflict. Whatever the tabloid and on-line misrepresentations have led people to believe, my primary concern has only ever been rooted in the welfare of our mother in the environment where she lives. No-one on the outside has a clue about the stresses and pressures she has been under long before recent events and I, like everyone in the family, adore the ground she walks on. We are also still raw from the loss of Michael three years ago. The ever-present grief has haunted me with questions about whether we stepped off him too much or whether we did enough to help when a corporate world surrounded him. So when it comes to the well-being of loved ones, and especially our mother, we are perhaps understandably and unapologetically over-protective. As attorney Perry Sanders has since confirmed, a health check detected high blood pressure with Mother. Rest was the sole reason she went to Arizona. Prince even carried her bags down the stairs and urged her to rest-up, because we all come from the same caring place. When she was away, and with the children in the responsible care of Tito’s son TJ, there was never a malicious attempt to “block” the kids from talking with her. We simply worried that a call home would first entail, or lead to, conversations with individuals we are in dispute with and that would, therefore, increase pressure on Mother — and pressure was what a doctor said she didn’t need. This was why we went to the house in Calabasas to talk directly with the kids and merely discuss arrangements for them to meet with their grandmother. We were denied that access by security — and it was clear that mutual suspicions had allowed events to spiral out of control. I regret that events were ever allowed to reach such a stage. I regret any distress caused to Prince, Paris and Blanket. That was never, ever the intention of myself, Janet, Rebbie or Randy. Moving forward, the most effective way to best serve Mother’s welfare, and that of Michael’s children, is to start a collective dialogue, in private. Mistakes have been made and irrational things have been said on both sides in a highly-charged emotional environment. It is time for us all to draw a line in the sand and move towards peace, co-operation, love and healing. I truly hope that we can find it in our hearts to do so. Because above and beyond anything else, what matters…is family.

“I know many have varying opinions regarding Jermaine, but to me, going in addition to what I was told by a source, information that I posted here last week in regards to Joe’s nephew and apparent discord and trouble in the house due to him (he was hired by the estate as security for the children, I was told), this is why Mrs. Jackson left for rest as she does not have the authority to fire him. It’s not been confirmed to my knowledge, but I was told that he has since been fired. So what Jermaine is sharing below, coincides with everything I have told you previously, so it is my guess that this is an accurate representation of all that went on. Jermaine also states that the children did know about their grandmother leaving for a few days and that they were in the care of TJ and he explains why the siblings were hesitant about contact from the home and why they tried to go and speak with the children to explain this to them and how they were trying to protect their mother from the stress of all of this. I may be wrong here, but going by what sources shared, this seems to be an accurate synopsis of what went on.”

Also, Janet Jackson fired threats of legal action against Harvey Levin at TMZ for claiming that she yelled expletives at and slapped Paris Jackson during a recent confrontation at the Calabasas home. Both Paris and Janet have disputed that story and the security video given to the media from Trent Jackson showed that no such thing occurred (slapping). TMZ have since issued an apology and retraction. I don’t link to that outlet as a matter of personal policy, but readers can find the story online.

I wish more public figures and celebrities would legally threaten media and tabloids over their false and sensationalized reporting, and demand retractions. If national laws do not control them in their greedy and destructive enterprises, then those whom they publish their stories about perhaps should.

Comments on both this post and the previous one, entitled “The Way I See It” are disabled. There are plenty of opportunities and other places to continue discussing this issue.

For the Jackson family, for the estate, or for Michael’s fans, this is not the best way to honor or remember Michael Jackson: His family publicly feuding, estate bringing down the hammer of control (whether or not we feel it’s justified), fans arguing about which of his family Michael hated most and why, who’s greedy and just scheming for money, who’s stupid, who’s right, who’s wrong, who’s ignorant, who’s “a plant” working for this or that side (family or the estate), and so on.

The truth is, none of us know or fully understand what is going on in that family or in that household. The truth also is that each of us has our own perspective on events surrounding Michael’s death and the culpability of others who may have been (or may still be) involved. It’s interesting to discuss for a while, but when it has become this insidious and damaging….

Enough.

I hope this family and the estate can work out the obvious issues between them without so much nasty publicity and certainly without so much damage to Katherine, her children, or her grandchildren. I’m sure most of you share that hope with me.